Charging battery with external charger

[no-logic]

So we're about to take a trip and I just determined that out on-board charger isn't charging. It's a WFCO that's going in the trash as soon as we get home. This is the second failure on a 2012 trailer. Unexceptable!! Anyway, I'm taking my portable charger along to keep the battery up to snuff for the week that we'll be camped. My question is: Can I charge the battery with everything hooked up normally? Or will I have to isolate the battery for charging to avoid doing damage to other components? Thanks!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Really does help when specifics are known. Brand and model of charger. A few of us are energetic enough to follow links and read spec sheets before rendering an assumption. 🙂

[BFL13]

deleted

I was trying to fool the robot monster who won't let me post to another thread, but is letting me post here. Didn't work--blame the robot monster, for wasting your time, not me! 😞 I will wait till later when the robot monster goes away to reply to the other thread. 😞 ( I can't count busses or cars apparently)

[beemerphile1]

no-logic wrote:
Yup. Converter still works. Just won't charge the battery. Same issue I had with it the first time.

Does not compute.

If the converter works (produces DC voltage) it charges the battery. Typically the converter output is around 13.5vdc or more.

What is the output voltage?

To answer the question, connect the charger and relax.

[Artum_Snowbird]

It is vitally important when you say it's not charging to know why it's not charging. You have to measure the voltage on the inverter 12 volt positive and 12 volt negative right on the inverter. If that says less than 13 volts, it's not working.

Mine said as it should, 13.6 but the batteries went dead in three days of being plugged in. Battery voltage had 4 lights when we were driving, then 3, 2, 1 while we were plugged in.

I had a bad negative wire on the inverter negative terminal strip that was robbing all the power, heating up, and causing a huge load.

Mind you... If I was not skillful I could have been talked into throwing out a perfectly good inverter for $500 or so with labor, and no doubt the installers would make sure the wires were tight.

Your choice and your money.

[Lwiddis]

A solar system goes directly to the batteries WFCO working or not.

[SidecarFlip]

no-logic wrote:
So we're about to take a trip and I just determined that out on-board charger isn't charging. It's a WFCO that's going in the trash as soon as we get home. This is the second failure on a 2012 trailer. Unexceptable!! Anyway, I'm taking my portable charger along to keep the battery up to snuff for the week that we'll be camped. My question is: Can I charge the battery with everything hooked up normally? Or will I have to isolate the battery for charging to avoid doing damage to other components? Thanks!

Sounds like it's time to loose the Chinese WFCO. Progressive Dynamics (here in Michigan), makes a drop in replacement unit with their charge wizard.

I have one. First thing I did was can the WFCO.

[landyacht318]

Some Smart chargers easily get confused when there are loads on the battery, as they are expecting the amperage to keep declining when in the constant voltage phase.

I used to use my Schumacher sc2500a as a converter, but it would only work, meaning not shut itself off flashing the error message, on the 12 amp setting.

On the 2 or 25 amp setting, the first time the compressor fridge turned on or off it would give up and flash error messages.

On the 12 amp setting, the compressor fridge turning off would have the voltage skyrocket into the mid 15's and take about 35 seconds to lower back to 13.6. When compresor fridge would turn back on voltage would lower into the high 12's, the smart charger would ramp up current, get it back up into the mid to high 14's.

This voltage Yoyo would continue the whole time, and the compressor fridge is only 2.7 amps. If I shut off the TV at the same time as the compressor shut off then voltage would exceed 16v and the charger would shut off and flash the error message.

I, and my battery, and 12v DC loads, are so Much happier with manual voltage control of my adjustable voltage power supply.

So your external charger might do the same as my Schumancher, and it might not just be a set it and forget it while whispering " just fine' over and over.

[wa8yxm]

The answer depends somewhat on your portable. Is it a "Smart" charger. What voltages does it put out and will it 'reset' to bulk if needed.

up to about 14.5 is safe give or take but it MUST drop down th 13.6 when the batteries are full.

NOTE: re-that WFCO.. Is it one where the converter is part of the power distribution panel assembly (Breaker/Fuse box) or is the converter a "Stand Alone"

If intergerated: Progressive Dynamics 4600 series. replaces JUST the electronics

If Stand alone.. make it a 9200 series. Try to match the last two digits of the model number as close as possible.

If you are near Marshall. MI.. I got a Refurb 9180 for about 230 straight from teh factory (I already had a charge wizard. Wiz is not needed with the 4600 or 9200 series it is already built in. I mention it only to give an idea of the $$$) smaller ones are less expensive.

[BFL13]

Only thing that could go wrong is if the portable charger did over 15.4 volts, which is the limit for a Norcold fridge, eg. Some Shumaker (sp!) chargers will do that. Most portables only do about 14.3 or whatever, so no problem.

[shastagary]

measure the voltage at the converter output should be at least 13.6v when charging and 13.2 when battery is charged.
measure the voltage at the battery when the wfco is charging the battery it should not be much less than the converter output or you have a wiring problem to the battery.

[SoundGuy]

no-logic wrote:
Yup. Converter still works. Just won't charge the battery. Same issue I had with it the first time.

Have you checked the resettable circuit breaker that's wired into the cable coming from the battery's positive terminal? If it's open there's no way the converter can charge the battery.

As far as using a stand alone charger is concerned, sure it'll work ... just turn the WFCO off. I've been doing this for several years, just leave my WFCO off and instead use a CTEK Multi US 7002 which is only a 7 amp charger, works just fine, in fact better because it does a proper 14.4 volt bulk charge which the WFCO could never achieve.

[no-logic]

shastagary wrote:
your wfco converter does more than just charge the battery it supplies all the power for your 12v devices when you are plugged in does it still do that and the battery is not charging?
if it still powers your 12v needs i would leave it in place and use a separate charger at the same time to help charge the battery until you can replace it.
if your battery was dead it will take more than over night to recharge it if it is still good.

Yup. Converter still works. Just won't charge the battery. Same issue I had with it the first time.

[no-logic]

Cool. Thanks guys!! The charger is a 15 amp and we will be hooked to shore power. So we will have plenty of juice and the demand will be light. I just didn't want to fry anything with the external charger feeding backwards. So it looks like I'm good to go with just hooking the charger up and letting it go. Thanks for the help my friends!!

[shastagary]

your wfco converter does more than just charge the battery it supplies all the power for your 12v devices when you are plugged in does it still do that and the battery is not charging?
if it still powers your 12v needs i would leave it in place and use a separate charger at the same time to help charge the battery until you can replace it.
if your battery was dead it will take more than over night to recharge it if it is still good.